A protestor stands in the middle of the tear gas confronting tactical officers at the intersection of Young St. and S. Griffin St. in downtown Dallas, Friday, May 29, 2020. People marched in protest of the in-custody death of George Floyd when they confronted Dallas Police tactical officers. Floyd died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers on Memorial Day.(Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning 黑料社 via AP)
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MINNEAPOLIS, United States 鈥� Violent protests erupted across the United States late Friday over the death of a handcuffed black man in police custody, with murder charges laid against the arresting Minneapolis officer failing to quell boiling anger.
Demonstrators clashed with police for a fourth straight night in Minneapolis, but riots also raged from New York to Los Angeles in one of the worst nights of national civil unrest in years.
In Atlanta, police cruisers were attacked and set ablaze as rallies spun out of control, while in the capital Washington protesters collided with Secret Service agents in heated midnight scenes in front of the White House.
In Minneapolis, Derek Chauvin, the white officer filmed kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed and unarmed George Floyd for nearly nine minutes, was charged with one count of third-degree murder 鈥� unintentionally causing a death 鈥� and one count of negligent manslaughter.
鈥淭his case is now ready, and we have charged it,鈥� said county prosecutor Mike Freeman amid outrage over the latest death of an African American in police custody.
But the charges failed to calm a shaken nation whose deep wounds over racial inequality have been torn open anew, and as the deadly coronavirus pandemic sets Americans further on edge.
Authorities imposed a curfew Friday in Minneapolis after three nights of violent protests left parts of the city in flames.
But protesters, many wearing masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus, defiantly remained on the streets, in cat-and-mouse face-offs with police who fired tear gas and flashbangs in efforts to regain control.
Protester Naeema Jakes said she needed to be on the streets so she could verbally confront officers.
鈥淚 need you to look in my eyes and feel me,鈥� Jakes said. 鈥淭his is pain, this is hurt.鈥�
The 46-year-old Floyd鈥檚 relatives 鈥� who spoke Friday with President Donald Trump 鈥� welcomed news of the arrest as a 鈥渟tep on the road to justice.鈥�
But they said they hoped for tougher charges and action against the other officers involved in Floyd鈥檚 detention and death.
Freeman said the three officers were also under investigation, and that he anticipated charges would be laid.
All four were fired from the police department Tuesday after a video surfaced of Monday鈥檚 arrest.
Troops deployed
The announcement of charges came hours after hundreds of troops were deployed to the streets of Minneapolis and St Paul.
Scores of buildings have been burned and looted across the so-called Twin Cities, including a police station associated with the four officers.
Several protesters chanted 鈥淚 can鈥檛 breathe鈥� 鈥� Floyd鈥檚 words as Chauvin鈥檚 knee pressed on his neck.
In the Minneapolis suburb of Oakdale, protesters gathered outside Chauvin鈥檚 vandalized home, raising placards to passing cars and chanting Floyd鈥檚 name.
鈥淎ll I can do is just cry, and cry some more,鈥� Tara Balian, 39, told AFP. 鈥淚t鈥檚 taken this long for people to realize that black lives matter.鈥�
Police in riot gear were out in force in other cities to prevent outbreaks of violence and looting, but protests took hold in Boston, Dallas, Denver, Des Moines, Houston, Las Vegas, Memphis, and Portland.
Charges criticized
Floyd鈥檚 family issued a statement acknowledging Chauvin鈥檚 arrest but said the charges against him were insufficient.
鈥淲e want a first-degree murder charge. And we want to see the other officers arrested,鈥� they said in a statement.
鈥淭he pain that the black community feels over this murder and what it reflects about the treatment of black people in America is raw and is spilling out onto the streets across America.鈥�
The third-degree charge though reflected the official autopsy saying that Floyd did not die of asphyxiation or strangulation.
After attacking the protesters as 鈥渢hugs鈥� and threatening to send in federal troops to deal harshly with them, Trump shifted tone later Friday, announcing he had called Floyd鈥檚 family to express his 鈥渟orrow.鈥�
鈥淚 understand the hurt, I understand the pain. People have really been through a lot,鈥� said the president, who stands accused of stoking tensions with a series of provocative tweets.
鈥極pen wound鈥�
Former vice president Joe Biden, who is challenging Trump for the White House in November鈥檚 election, also spoke to Floyd鈥檚 family.
He called for justice and said it was time to heal the 鈥渙pen wound鈥� of systemic racism in the United States.
Floyd鈥檚 death is reminiscent of the demise of Eric Garner, who died in police custody in New York in 2014.
鈥淣ow we have to be here for George Floyd,鈥� Garner鈥檚 mother, Gwen Carr, told protesters in New York on Friday.
鈥淓nough is enough. They have to stop coming into our neighborhoods and brutalizing and terrorizing and murdering our young men and women.鈥�